Stalk-puller.



C. R. SMITH.

STALK FULLER.

APPLICATION IILBD SEPT. 2a, 1911.

1,038,978. Patented sept. 17,1912.

2 BHBETS-SHBET 1.

WIT/VESSES INVENTR /17TORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM CD WASHINGTON. D, CA

C. R. SMITH.

STALK PULLER.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 2a, 1911.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANDORAPM C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

GULLEN ROGERS SMITH, OIE PERRIS, CALIFORNIA.

STALK-PULLER.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CULLEN ROGERS SMITH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Perris, in the county of Riverside and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and lmproved Stalk-Puller, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to stalk pullers of the same general class as theone described in my patent of January 12, 1904, No. 749,636, and that ofmy patent of March 5, 1907, No. 846,255. 1

The purpose of my present invention is to provide, in connection with amachine of this kind, a number of distinct improvements relating mainlyto the gripping jaws for seizing the stalks, the links carrying thesejaws and formed into chains, the means for guiding, supporting andadjusting these chains, and mechanism for preventing the entrance ofstalks, dirt, or other undesirable material into the spaces between thelinks of the same chain.

My invention further relates to various details of construction wherebythe jaws are given more or less resilience, and the efficiency of theapparatus as a whole and of various parts thereof is greatly increased.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which like characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a rearelevation showing my improved stalk puller complete; Fig. 2 is a planview showing the chain frames and gearing for operating the chains,these parts being exhibited as they appear when re moved from thevehicle; Fig. 3 is a detail view, showing one of the chain frames andparts carried by it; Fig. 4 is a detail view, showing in perspective,one of the gripping jaws and the link with which it is Aassociated; andFig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

Two vehicularwheels 6, 7 support practically all of the working parts.Associated with these wheels are axles 8, 9, and a pair of arches 10,11. Extending from one arch to the other is a V-frame 12. A seat 13 isprovided for the driver. Two guides 14, 15 made preferably of thicksheet metal are employed for the purpose of directing the stalks towardthe center of the machine as the latter travels along. The parts justSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 28, 1911.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

sel-iai No. 651,757.

mentioned may be of the usual or any desired construction. r1`he chainframes, that is, the frames for supporting the gripping frames and partsassociated therewith are shown at 16, 17.

Mounted upon the axles 8, 9 are gear wheels 18, 19, and meshing with thelatter are pinions 20, 21. These pinions are mounted upon stub shafts22, 23, the latter carrying bevel pinions 24, 25. Meshing with thesebevel pinions are other bevel pinions 26, 27 which are mounted rigidlyupon stub shafts 28, 29. These stub shafts extend obliquely upwardthrough the chain frames 16, 17, as will be understood from Figs. 2 and3.

Mounted rigidly upon the stub shafts 28, 29, and disposed within thechain fra-mes 16, 17, are sprocket wheels 30, 31, which are providedwith flanges 32, 33. The chain frames 16, 17 are provided with slots 34,35, 36, 37 for facilitating the adjustment of the gripping chains, ashereinafter described. Mounted within the chain frames 16, 17 areUframes 38. Each of these U-frames is provided with an arcuate portion39, and extending through the latter is a bolt 40 provided with a head41 and with a threaded portion 42 upon which is fitted a nut 43. Thisbolt 40 extends through a brace 44, the latter being secured to thechain frame and extending internally thereof from top to bottom, as willbe understood from Fig. 3. Below each chain frame 16, 17 is a runner 45which is braced by a portion 46 of an arm 46a. There are two 4of thesearms 46a, and associated with them are two other arms 46b (seeFig. l).The four arms partially support the chain frames 16, 17, the latterresting, it will be understood, `upon the runners 45.

Disposed within the chain frames 16, 17 are sprocket wheels 47, 48provided respectively with flanges 49, 50 each flange being integralwith the sprocket wheel with which it is associated. The wheels andflanges in question are mounted upon shafts 51, 52. rlwo other wheels53, 54 are provided with smooth circumferential surfaces and withintegral flanges 55, 56. These wheels and their flanges are mounted upontwo shafts 57, 58, the latter being supported in bearings 57, 57h, whichare carried by the U- frames 38 and which extend through the slots 36,37. The shafts 51, 52 iit into bearings 512521 carried by the U-frames38 and which fit slidably into the slots 34,35. TWO

guard strips 59, 60 are, by aid of brackets 61, 62, secured upon therespective inner edges of the chain frames 16, 17 for the purpose ofpreventing the lodgment of dirt and loose stalks upon the various wheelscarried n within these frames. Two smooth idle wheels 63, 64 of smalldiameter are mounted upon two shafts 65, 66 which work in bearings 66acarried by the U-frames.

The gripping chains are made up offseparate units, one of which is shownin perspective in Fig. 4 and in elevation in Fig. 5. Each ch-ain unitcomprises a plate 67 having a narrow portion 68 bent substantially to aright angle to it and also having, opposite the portion 68, la longerportion 69 bent obliquely downward at 70 and provided at the lower endthereof with bearing lugs 71. Extending through these lugs is a pivotpin 72. A plate 73 is provided with bearing lugs 71L through which thispivot pin extends. A link 74 is also carried by the plate 73 of eachunit and is provided with a member 75 which lits into a correspondingpart carried by the next successive unit so that the various units `airethus united and form a chain. Each link 74 is further provided wit-hlugs 76 integral with it and extending upwardly from it, these lugsbeing normally engaged by the bent portion 68 of the plate 67 andforming limiting stops for the latter. Within each chain unit is laspring 77 which extends around the pivot 'pin 72 and is provided withend port-ions 78 which 'engage directly the adjacent surface of the link74. The springs 77 also engage the inner surface of the portion 69 ofthe plate 67, as will be understood from Fig. 5. The springs, bypressing in opposite directions, normally force the plate 67 to theleft, according to Fig. 5, so that the down-turned portion 68 isnormally in engagement wit-h the lugs 76. When, however, pressure isapplied to the plate 67, as hereinafter described, the tension of thesprings is, for the time being, overcome and the plate 67 moves to theright,'according to Fig. 5, being ultimately restored to normalcondition by the pressure of the spring. Mounted upon the portion 69 ofthe plate 67 is a plate 79 secured in position by aid of rivets 80, andprovided with serrated edges 81, 82, the latter being inclined obliquelyupward, as will be understood from Figs. v4 and 5.

The various chain units being connected up into chains, as abovedescribed, and the units of 4one chain being adjusted to mate the unitsof the opposite chain, it follows that the various serrated edges aredisposed in bearf ings as indicated in Fig. 2. Each plate 67 carriesupon its underside a guard 67a having rigidly secured in position anarcuate surface 67b and adapted to slidably engage the under surface ofthe next successive plate 67 as will be understood ,from Fig. 2. The

purpose of the guard 67a is, while allowing sufficient flexibility tothe chain, to prevent at the same time the undesirable entrance ofstalks, twigs and dirt between the successive units of the same chain.Except for this provision, the stalks, twigs and other obstacles wouldtend to lodge in between the units, and that too, under conditions wherethey would be likely to clog the movements of the chain or to break thechain or some part employed for actuating the same.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being assembled andarranged as above described, draft animals, such as horses, areharnessed to the machine and caused to move it forwardly along by aid ofthe wheels 6, 7. The front ends of the chain frames, being now loweredso that the runners 45 rest upon the ground and the machine being drivenalong a row of stalks, the work begins. The forward travel of themachine by causing the rotation of the vehicular wheels 6, 7 and theshafts upon which the latter are mounted actuate the various gearmembers 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and thus cause theshafts 28, 29 to turn in opposite direct-ions. The chains engaging thesprocket wheels 30, 31, 47, 48 are driven at the same rate of speed andin opposite directions. If the chains are too slack, they are tightenedup by turning the nuts 43, thereby practically turning the bolts 40 andforcing the U-frames 38 obliquely downw-ard to the left, according toFig. 3. thus adjusting the U-frames 38, the shafts 51, 52, 57, 58 aredrawn toward the front kends of the frames. yThe slots 35 readily permitthis bodily adjustment of the various shafts. Whenever, owing to wear`or other cause, either one `of the chains becomes slightly looser, therotation of the nut 43 upon the corresponding chain frame, will causethe chain to become sufhciently tight. The chains engage the idle wheels53, 54 and cause the latter to turn. The idle wheels 53, 54, as well asthe sprocket wheels have flanges integral'with them, as above explained,so that the chains are very effectively guided. The idle wheels 63, 64are not movable bodily in relation to the chain frames, and are,therefore, not affected by the adjustment. Neither are the idle wheels63, 64 provided with iianges, as none are necessary. The guard strips59, 60 may readily be removed 'or replaced when worn out or damaged, Voreven when the operator desires access to the working'parts of themachine.

As the machine is moved forward and the chains yoperate as abovedescribed, stalks kare 'guided in between the chains and successivelygripped by the serrated edges 81, 82 and th'us drawn backwfar'dly and atthe same time pulled out of the ground. The stalks Losser/s are thuscarried to the rear and released, or otherwise disposed of, as desired.

I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement shown for the reasonthat variations therein may be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is l. In a stalk puller, the combination of apair of chains made up of units connected together and movablerelatively to each other for the purpose of giving flexibility to thechain, each unit comprising a link, a swinging member carried by saidlink and movable relatively in the direction lateral to the generaldirection of travel of said link, said movable member being providedwith gripping edges, and spring mechanism for normally maintaining saidswinging member .in a predetermined position relatively to said link.

2. In a stalk puller, the combination of a pair of movable chains, eachcomprising links7 a swinging member carried by each link and providedwith a plate having serrated surfaces, and a spring disposed betweensaid link and said plate for the purpose of normally holding said platein a predetermined position` relatively to said link.

3. In a stalk puller, the combination of a plurality of chains each madeup of units provided with gripping surfaces, each unit being furtherprovided with a guard eX- tending into the next successive unit for thepurpose of preventing the entrance of stalks or the like between thesuccessive units of the same chain, framework for supporting saidchains, and means for moving said framework and chains along the ground.

4. A stalk puller comprising a pair of chains provided with grippingsurfaces, each chain being made up of units movable relatively to eachother for the purpose of giving flexibility to the chains, each unitbeing provided with a member having an arcuate surface and mounted uponone of said units, said member extending from the unit on which it ismounted so as to slidaloly engage the next successive unit for thepurpose of preventing the entrance of foreign substances between thesuccessive units of the same chain, and means for actuating said chains.

5. A stalk puller comprising endless sprocket chains having portionstraveling in parallelism, and embodying links, -each of which linkscarries a stalk gripping member and sprocket wheelsover which saidchains travel having flanges on which the chains are supported.

6. A stalk puller comprising endless chains having portions traveling inparallelism and embodying links, each of which links carries a stalkgripping member, and a guard strip extending into the adjacent link atone side, to prevent stalks from getting between the links.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CULLEN ROGERS SMITH.

Witnesses:

WILBERT YV. STEWART, VILBERT Gr. STEWART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Iatents, Washington, I). G.

